Albert m



(No Model.)

` A. M. BURRITT.

VALVE PoR PIRE BXTINGUISHBRS.

Patented Mar. 28

N. PEYERS, Phomlilmgmmr. Wzlhmglon. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT M. BUEEITT, E WATEEBUEY, CONNECTICUT, AssIGNon To THE A. EUEEITT HARDWARE COMPANY, on sAME PLACE.

VALVE FOR FIREEXTINGUISHERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,590, dated March 28, 1882.

Application led December 24, 1881.

(No model.)

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT M. BURRITT, of Vaterbury, in the county of Newv Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new ImprovementinValvesforEire-Extinguishers; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingand the letters of reference marked thereon, tobe a full, clear, and exact descrip- Io tion of the same, and which said drawing constitutes part of this specification, and represents a sectional side view.

This invention relates to an improvement in "'mechanism for opening the water-way in tire- I5 extinguishers.

Various arrangements of valvesh'ave been made to close the watcr-wayof reextinguishers; but usually the valve is moved away from Y its seat and stands in a plane at right angles zo tothe water-way, the water flowing around the valve. Hence the valve stands as an obstruction in the water-way.

The principal object of this invention is to arrange the valve so that it may be taken en- 2 5 tirely out of the waterway and avoid any possible obstruction to the flow of water; and it consists, essentially, in a. valve hinged to a rock-shaft at one side of the water-way, so that the force of the water will swing the valve from 3v its seat awayfroin the direction of the flow of Water, combined with a mechanism which will so turn the valve so soon as it may be released from its seat; and also in the combination of an alarm with such an arrangement ot' valve,

3 5 all as more fully hereinafter described.

A represents the water way or passage through which the water flows, as indicated by the arrow; B, the valve arranged upon a seat to close said waterway. It may be secured 4o therein bya fusible material, so as to be liberated when the surrounding temperature has been raised to a suicient degree to fuse the connection, or it may be counteroalanced by a like pressure upon the opposite side, either of air or water. This counter-balance would be produced if, for instance, there were at some point in the pipe beyond the valve a fusible n plug and a slight opening through the valve B, so that the water might pass through that open- 5o ing to the opposite side of the valve and produce the equilibrium. In that case the equilibrium would be maintained until the pressure was removed by the fusing ofthe plug or opening the water-way, and as soon as the low of water permitted, then the valve would startand 5 5 be thrown wide open automatically; or, itl the pipe be closed with air in the valve-chamber and pipe, the air will be compressed by theincoming water into the valve-chamber through the same opening until the equilibrium is at- 6o tained. Theil the valve will remain in its closed condition.

At one side of the water-way is a rock shaft,

a, from which an arm, b, extends, and is connected to the valve B, so that the valve asit moves away from its seat will swing upon the rock-sh aft a as a center and carry the valve up to one side of the chamber, as indicated in broken lines. When a valve in a water-way of this character leaves its seat it will only be 7o moved from that seat to such a distance as to permit the water to dow around it and create a pressure upon the opposite side. Hence, ifV simply hung upon the shaft, as described, the

movement of the valve by the force of the water only would'not carry it out of the direct water-way; hence some mechanical appliance is necessary which will automatically act upon the valve to turn it entirely out from the waterway or passage. To this end I attach to the 8o shaft a lever, C D, preferably angular shape, but not necessarily so,and extending upward. Near the outer end of the lever I arrange a weight, E, on a rod, F, the rod extending through a slot in the lever, provided with a head, d, above, so as to take a bearing upon the upper side of the lever.

H is a trip hung upon a pivot, e, one end engaging a notch,f, in the rod F, the other engaged with a latch, L, and when so engaged 9o the weig'ht`will be suspended independent of the lever C D, and when so suspended has no effect upon the lever C D or upon the valve. 0n the rock-shaft a is a cam,h, arranged to operate againsttheopposite arm lof thelatch L. When the valve B is liberated so as to move from its seat it will by the force of the water turn the rock-shaft, and also turn the cam h thereon, which will operate upon the latch L to disen gage the trip H, as indicated in broken reo lines, and which will permit the weight to fall. The weight, coming upon the projecting arm of the lever C D, Will cause that arm to swing round upon the rock-shaft as its center and turn the rock-shaft, as seen in broken lines, and bring the valve into the position, also seen in broken lines, entirely out of the line of the ow of the water. The slot in the arm D through which the rod passes is sufficiently long to permit the required play ofthe lever before the tripping of the weight occurs.

To apply an alarm which should be operated when the valve is moved from its seat, I han'g a lever upon a fulcrum, t', one arm, m, of which rests against the head of the weight-rod. The other arm, a, is in connection with the rod r of a whistle-valve. This arrangement holds the valve closed so long as the weightis suspended; but so soon as the weight falls, as before described, it will pass from the arm m and permit the movement of the valve-rod to open the valve to the whistle.

4The lever which engages the whistle-valve with 4the mechanism may make itsY connection at some other point than the head otl the weightrod, it only being essential that it shall be upon some point which will move awayfrom the lever when the movement of the valve occurs.

Although applicable to fire-extinguishers, this valve arrangement may be useful for other purposes. f

The valve B from its hinging'point may be combined with other mechanism which will be released by the swinging up of the valve. I therefore do not Wish to be understood as coniniug my invention to this particular mechanism for so doing.

Instead ofthe whistle for the alarm, it may be a bell or other device for signaling the release of the valve or openin g of the Water-Way.

I claiml. The valve B, arranged to close the Waterway and hung at one side of the water-Way, combined with mechanism, substantially such as described, whereby after said valve is permitted to leave its seat it will be automatically turned out of line of' the llowing water, substantially as described.

2. The valve B, arranged to close the Waterway and hung upon a rock-shaft at one side of the water-Way, combined with a lever eX- tending from said rock-shaft, a weight suspended by a trip, a latch to hold the said trip, a. cam on the said rock-shaft to operate said latch, whereby the tirst part of the movement of said valve will release the said weight and cause itto turn said rock-shaft and throw the valve out ofthe line of the water-Way, substantially as described.

3. The valve B, arranged to close the waterway and hung at one side of the water-way, combined with mechanism,substantially such as described, whereby after said valve leaves its seat it will be automatically turned out of line of the llowing water, and with an alarm engaged with said mechanism, so that by the said movement of the valve the alarm will be sounded, substantially as described.

ALBERT M. BURRITT.

Witnesses:

EUGENE J. DAVIS, J. B. DOHERTY. 

